The Holy Moly is the American home of artists/musicians Adrian Kosky and Carla Maxwell. Adrian and Carla revitalised and created a home in a masonic temple building which is listed on the National Register of historic buildings and is located in the historic downtown blues precinct of Clarksdale, Mississippi. Their home has been an official nighttime music venue during Juke Joint Festivals 2015-2018.

Pages

Friday, March 4, 2016

The Holy Moly Drug Store Story

The Holy Moly Drug Store (owned by Adrian Kosky and Carla Maxwell), at the corner of Third and Issaquena, was housed in what was Haggard Drugs for many years. It had "prescriptions for the pursuit of happiness" and the "fixin's for your addictions" in the form of ice cream treats, great coffee, milkshakes, malts, floats, and delicious fast food. The Holy Moly Drug Store was a one-of-a-kind business, combining nostalgia, hospitality, and good wholesome fun and, of course, ice cream.

There were many soda fountains around Clarksdale (3 within walking distance of The Holy Moly Drug Store), back in the day. They closed in the 60's. Apparently, they were well-loved meeting places for all ages, but they closed due to a shrinking population and because big companies provided their products in stiff competition with local businesses.

Owners, Carla Maxwell and Adrian Kosky, chose to bring back to life the old-fashioned ice cream parlour soda fountain of a bygone time. They mixed up their own syrups for fountain drinks and modified them to their customers' taste.
On September 15, 2015, The Holy Moly Drug Store restaurant business was sold. Adrian and Carla have new tenants who have started a new restaurant at 301 Issaquena Avenue, inside The Holy Moly.

Please consider supporting The Holy Moly as a local business by visiting the new restaurant at the corner of Third Street & Issaquena Avenue, joining in on future entertainment offerings in the building, and letting your local friends know about the revitalisation project known as "The Holy Moly." Carla and Adrian work very hard in all areas of this building revitalisation and, although they have received great local support, it will take continued energy to make this thing fly.

This is The Holy Moly Drug Store story:

September 1, 2014

In the three months that The Holy Moly Drug Store has been open, Adrian and Carla enjoyed meeting many local people from all walks of life, culture, and ages. These visitors to the store have, in turn, met and mixed with those they know well and with those they had never before met.

International visitors have been common place, with much information and culture sharing at the soda fountain counter, over an espresso or an orange cream-soda float.

At times The Holy Moly Drug Store is like an unofficial visitors' centre, directing people to other local businesses, music venues, and places of interest, as downtown businesses are often placed in the role of ambassadors for visitors to the area.

The Holy Moly Drug Store was open every night from 5:00-9:00 in June, July, and August, 2014, with only one closed night (the 4th of July). Many people have asked why the store was not open during the day. The reason was that the owners were working further on the planning and revitalising of other parts of the building, particularly upstairs in The Holy Moly Theatre and Temple of Treats (opening in 2015). With very little available time left each day, Adrian and Carla decided to forgo their relaxing evenings, and they devoted time each night to making the ice cream shop actually happen.

Carla and Adrian never really intended to run an ice cream shop, but they saw something that was needed in the community and decided to do it, rather than talk about it. The Holy Moly Drug Store will be closed from September through mid-November, 2014, whilst the owners travel back to Australia. The soda jerk and his missus are needing Vegemite; and Adrian promises to bring a bunch back with him to share when they return from Australia.

Carla and Adrian have referred to their first three months of operating The Holy Moly Drug Store as a "season one," of your favourite TV series. "Season two" will, no doubt, be full of surprises, when it re-opens.

Our ice cream freezer at The Holy Moly Drug Store developed a serious brain tumour over the last few days. Doctor Cool has diagnosed a relay overload malfunction. This has lead to a complete MELTDOWN, and all of our ice cream stock turned to something resembling soup.

Relay overloads for ice cream freezers are not common in the deep south in Mississippi, so the world has been searched... well googled anyway, for the much needed ”transplant” part. It’s on its way, but with Christmas and new year on our doorstep, there’s no telling when the freezer will be working again. Luckily, in a few days, it will be so cold that we won’t need a freezer at all!

Recapping on season two, in the series “The Holy Moly Drug Store”

the highlights........

*We managed to reopen after a 2 month mission to Australia;

*We needed more supplies of Vegemite, and we needed to be able to say “g’day mate” and “she’ll be right” and “no worries” with the confidence of being totally understood;

*We felt great being back here in Clarksdale, with all y’all;

*We enjoyed getting back to the limitless supply of espresso milkshakes for staff and management [me and her, or is that her and me?]; and

We loved being welcomed back by friends, fans, coffee hounds, ice cream fiends, and sugar savourers;

the low lights......….

*Our freezer went into an ice cream coma, creating turmoil at a difficult time of year for total disasters;

*We found that this is a very quiet time of the year, making getting out of bed, let alone building and running an ice cream/coffee/soda fountain drug store, a difficult task, indeed; AND

*Did we mention the ice cream meltdown?

What’s in store for The Holy Moly Drug Store in season Three?

After a bit of, Christmas and new year fun, and some deep hibernating to come up with and develop the next part of the story, The Holy Moly Drug Store will spring back into action in March.

Stay tuned for new characters, menu items, flavors, hours, and, above all, a new relay overload for the freezer!

See y’all soon!

We know how to run an ice cream shop,

sell coffee, snacks, and soda pop.

Therefore, we're temporarily closing the door

to The Holy Moly Drug Store.

We'll open up for Season Three,

after "Operation Upgrade!" Yippeeeeeeeee!!

**********

April 20, 2015, UPDATE:

Season Three started March 24th, when Adrian and Carla reopened The Holy Moly Drug Store a couple of weeks before the Clarksdale Juke Joint Festival. They worked hard and prepared for the unknown of being open for longer hours and for their first Juke Joint Festival business.

Carla and Adrian welcomed a friend/Aussie visitor, Jacqui Olver, who was returning to Clarksdale for her second visit, just a few days before the festival. Jacqui is helping Adrian and Carla move the shop forward with an expanded menu and extended hours.

Also, on Friday, April 17th, The Holy Moly Drug Store's first work/study student from Coahoma Community College started a 200 hour assignment to work in the shop. Welcome, Elisha!

The Holy Moly Drug Store is currently open from Noon - 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

June 22, 2015, UPDATE:

Season Three continues with the menu expanded to include comfort food meals prepared to be served during every business hour! As of today, the new business hours for The Holy Moly Drug Store are 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. Adrian Kosky and Carla Maxwell are running the restaurant/coffee shop/ice cream parlour with help from students participating in the DWIA Youth Activity program by Coahoma Community College.

August 3, 2015, UPDATE:

The Holy Moly Drug Store has a new menu! We serve specialties pancakes with ice cream and a new cider float!

September 23, 2015, UPDATE:

The Holy Moly Drug Store business with a long-term lease (the current restaurant and corner section of The Holy Moly building at 301 Issaquena Avenue) has been sold to an Australian couple, John and Naomi Casaceli.

Carla and Adrian are reopening The Holy Moly Drug Store as Casaceli employees on September 29, 2015, and plan to work through October before handing the work over to John and Naomi and moving on to revitalisation work in other areas of The Holy Moly.

Upgrades are planned for the next season of The Holy Moly Drug Store restaurant: There will be more food options and a bigger variety of beverages! Woooohoooo!

John and Naomi are former owners/managers of a wonderful music venue (the Vanguard) in Sydney, Australia. Adrian and Carla are excited about having these wonderful new tenants in The Holy Moly.

Hopefully, there will be mutual inspiration going on between the two Aussie couples, and more fun will come to the corner of Third & Issaquena in the downtown historic blues precinct of Clarksdale, Mississippi!

Holy moly! It's time to get something happening upstairs in The Holy Moly Theatre!

March 5, 2016, UPDATE:

The Holy Moly Drug Store was closed in October. The Holy Moly's new tenants have created a whole new restaurant. The restaurant's new hours of operation are Wednesday thru Sunday (with live music each Sunday). Levon's Drug Store Diner has a full lunch and dinner menu and a beautiful, modern, look.